Slider Ranma, chapter 3: At the end of the tunnel
by Kuraiko Kurohoshi
Summary: A simple mistake can go far... and people missing are people missed. (Ranma/Slayers)


Notes : This fic starts six months after the end of the manga, which means characters are a little more grown up, especially Ranma, and there are things that happened in-between that you'll find out as the fic goes on. C&C is greatly appreciated and can be sent at ranma_666@hotmail.com, or ICQ# 45118495, and flames can go at someone@who-cares.com. 

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Disclaimer 

Ranma is not mine. Sliders is not mine. 

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What happened before: 

Prologue : Ranma gets the timer from another sliding team, and Nabiki unexpectedly tags along. 

Chapter 1 : On a world devastated by nuclear warfare, Ranma and Nabiki are forced into marriage. Ranma learns the breaking point by an enslaved Mousse before escaping. 

Chapter 2 : On a world where Ukyo was taken over by a demon early on, Ranma and Nabiki strive to stop her and prevent further deaths, while wondering what their relationship is becoming. 

This chapter starts on the eleventh day of Ranma and Nabiki's travels. 

" " spoken ' ' thought 

******* 

Slider Ranma 

Chapter 3 : At the end of the tunnel 

******* 

The sun was gently shining on the forest, the birds singing and fluttering about in the soft wind with the sakura. The odd cloud gently floated in the light blue sky, its fluffy shape bringing back sweet memories to anyone observing. 

The clearing in the forest was covered in light pink petals, which turned to a darker shade as a cloud obscured the sun. A few bees fluttered about, wondering where the wild flowers were hiding under this bed of rose. A rabbit looked up, two strands of grass in its mouth, wondering if it was in danger. It suddenly blinked as the sun came back in full force, and after a quick look around to make sure returned to eating. 

In the center of the clearing, the large sakura tree continued to lose its petals on the sunny spring afternoon. 

A flash of light and sudden wind created a storm of sakura as the clearing was bathed in a blue glow. White streaks swirled in the blue light of the tunnel, the whirlpool of energy going farther than one could possibly imagine. 

From its swirling depths came two spots of light, which, once crossing the tunnel's threshold, one after the other, turned into people. The two rolled with the movement and ended standing. 

Ranma picked a sakura out of his hair. "What the-- I thought we were in summer in the last world." He let it go, watching it twirl in the air as it descended to the ground. 

"We were," Nabiki said, holding up four fingers, "but it was autumn when we left and winter on the first world." Two fingers were down. "It was summer on that last world and now it's spring. It's like Cologne said," she continued, hands on hips, "we slide in the same place but not the same time of year. Weren't you listening?" She cocked her head to the side, waiting for an answer. 

He rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, you know I'm no good with all of that technical stuff. I'd rather leave it up to you." He gave her a weak smile. 

She smiled coyly, fluttering her eyelids. "Are you trying to say something, Ranma dear?" Her hands went together in front of her, giving her a coquettish air. 

"Not at all," he replied, surprisingly not blushing, "but we do have to talk about this." He sighed, dropping his gaze, and, noticing his pants had a few sakura stuck on them, began picking them off. "Why did you say we were married?" he blurted out, then sighed inwardly as he felt a weight disappear off his shoulders. 

Taking aback by his bluntness, she struggled with the words for a few seconds. "I, hum..." She looked down herself. "I don't really know myself, Ranma." He gave her a quizzical look. "It was... an impulse decision. A spur of the moment kind of thing. They asked me what was going on between us, and I tried delaying to answer by taking a sip of tea. They saw the ring, and... well... I couldn't deny it. They were so excited, and I..." She shrugged and smiled, looking up at him. "I found myself taken along for the ride. The concept of being married to you gave me..." She shrugged again. "I found myself happy. I don't know why." 

Ranma looked at her, at her small, soft, genuine smile, something he didn't recall ever seeing. No, he did remember seeing it, once; a week ago, on their first night in the last world. They had slept together in the small tent, and he had woken up in the middle of the night. He had found Nabiki curled up in his arms, sharing his warmth, and hers, with that very same small yet contented smile. 

Now, Ranma knew he was an idiot in certain areas, especially relationships, but by trial-and-error he knew it wasn't good to let a girl hanging after she revealed some of her feelings. And he didn't want his stupidity at figuring out his own feelings hurt yet another girl. So he looked at her and extended a hand. "Why don't we... start for civilization while we talk?" His head tilted, towards the direction he assumed was Tokyo. 

She took it and started walking with him. "Take all the time you need to think, Ranma. I need to think about some things myself." She leaned forward to avoid a low branch. 

This brought out a confused "Huh?" from Ranma, who hadn't expected Nabiki to know of his internal wondering. He almost didn't see the very same branch Nabiki had just avoided, and ducked just in time. 

"Ranma, Ranma, Ranma," she said with a smile, shaking her head, "after almost two years, how much do you think I know you? Emotion-wise, you take more time to decide than it takes a turtle to walk across Tokyo." She didn't let his scowl slow her down. "I noticed you were even more confused about your feelings than before lately, after that date with Akane a month before we left. I can't expect you to think things through right away." She slowed down as they started going down a rocky hill. 

"That's where you're wrong, Nabiki." he replied with a sad smile, kicking the rock that found itself in his way. "I've never been so sure of my feelings since that day." He sighed, wishing the subject hadn't been brought up, but knowing there was no chance of avoiding it. 

She gave him a disbelieving look. "Really? You didn't look particularly decisive, Ranma, and you didn't act different than before." In her voice was the hidden question, the one she knew he was trying to avoid. 

He looked at her. "Didn't Akane tell you what happened?" He pushed her aside gently to avoid walking into a tree. She conceded, but seemed to have forgotten to slightly step away afterwards. 

"She came home all angry yelling about how much of a pervert you were." Nabiki shrugged. "Not very different from her usual rantings about you." She looked at him, her free hand coming up to replace a stray hair over her ear. "So what happened?" 

He took a deep breath in and let it out. "Things were running smoothly until Shampoo spotted us through the window at the restaurant and said something about waiting for her date with me the night after." He paused, sighing again. "Akane splashed me with her glass of water and took off, and Shampoo gave me a quick hug before returning on her delivery." One hand went up to shield his face from a branch. 

Nabiki blinked, pushing back a branch herself. "Well, aside from the fact that Shampoo left you so easily, it's not that different from what can be expected." She let go, hearing the 'whoosh' of the rapidly displaced air behind her. 

"That's *exactly* why it was so different! Shampoo didn't go out of her way to ruin my date with Akane, she did it because she was there and it was convenient! She didn't really care about me!" He punctuated his point by punching sideways a tree he happened to pass, leaving a large indentation. 

A few snickers on Nabiki's part evolved into full laughter. She let go of his hand to hold her sides, staying in place. "You can't honestly think Shampoo's not really in love with you?!" she barely managed to say coherently between laughters. 

"How can you be so sure yourself?" he snapped back, turning to face her. "Her affections were certainly not real when I first beat her, and she never changed her attitude, did she?" 

She wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh, come on, Ranma! You can't be THAT clueless about girls!" The look on his face told her that he was. "Okay. Ranma," she began, putting a hand on his shoulder, looking him straight in the eye, "Ukyo, Shampoo, Kodachi and even Akane are genuinely in love with you." 

He snorted, batting her hand away. "That's not the impression I got. After that date, I decided to wipe the slate clean and see how those girls really felt about me on a daily basis. Shampoo and Kodachi are just possessive and selfish, Ukyo only loves me as a friend and Akane! Ah!" His voice was derisive. "If that girl's in love with me, she's so much in denial that even the reversal jewel wouldn't find it." He snickered at his poor joke, and started observing the bark of a tree. 

Nabiki blinked, confused. "Then what was with that speech and the kiss you gave Akane before leaving?" She pushed his shoulder so they'd return to walking, nearly pushing him in a tree in the process. 

"That was because she was in the lead." He kicked a small rock, watching it fly ahead of him. "Not by much, mind you. She may not know how to cook or sew to save her life, but I know she makes the effort for me. That's worth something." He kicked the same rock again, watching it go. 

"'Was'?" she questioned, curious about his choice of tense, then bit her lip as she stepped on a sharp rock. She quickly hopped once on her other foot before continuing, noting the pain was almost gone. 

"Yeah. If this hadn't happened," he said, emphasising 'this' with a finger waving between them, "I would have gone back to her once I got home." He kicked the same rock a third time, sending it bouncing against a tree, disappearing to his left. 

Her hand found his. "You mean... you want to give this marriage a try too?" She rounded a large rock, using the opportunity to lean on him a little. 

He blushed. "Umm... Yeah. I mean, you're the only real friend I have. If this can't work..." Having no more rocks to kick around, he opted to kick a tree instead. He quickly revised his opinion and returned to looking for small rocks. 

"What about Ukyo? I thought you said she was your friend." Nabiki knew better than to bring Ryoga in Ranma's circle of friends. They hadn't been getting along great lately. Giving a quick look around, she pointed a little to the left, where the forest seemed to clear. He nodded and they diverted their course. 

"Ukyo's a friend, but..." He sighed. "She doesn't want to open up to me. When I ask her how things are going on, she's always saying that everything's fine and there's nothing to worry about, even when it's obvious that there's something bothering her." Instead of pushing a branch back, he simply snapped it with a quick hand strike. 

"I don't recall ever opening up to you, Ranma, and I certainly don't listen to your problems like she does." She picked a falling sakura out of the air, looking at it as if it was the first time she had ever seen one, before letting it go. 

"Oh? How about the time you cried in my arms on the first world?" he asked with an amused smile, turning to look at her. 

"That was... from the shock of seeing Tokyo nuked. I didn't have time to prepare myself to the possibilities of other worlds like you did." She squeezed his hand. "But you're right. You're the first person after Kasumi I find myself able to open up to." She gave him a weak smile, of gratitude, friendship, and maybe more. 

"Not even my mother?" he asked, confused. He knew his mother talked regularly with all of the Tendo girls. He knew why because she did it with him as well, though not as often. 

She shook her head. "No offense, Ranma, but your mother is a little... too strict and honorbound for my taste." With her hand, she blew away a sakura heading for her face, not bothering to touch it. 

He nodded. "Yeah, she tends to be like that. I usually only need a sad look to get her to agree to let me make my own decisions, though." He had an amused smile on, wondering what reaction he'd get from her at this confession. 

"Uh-- What?" Nabiki stopped, not letting go of his hand. "What did you say?" He grinned at her. "You... manipulate your mother?" She couldn't believe how shocked she sounded. 

"Well, I wouldn't say 'manipulate' per se..." he trailed off with a smile, tugging at her to resume walking. "I just... convince her not to pressure me." He glanced at her disbelieving expression, his smile growing slightly. 

"Do you now? And since when have you had this 'convincing' streak in you?" She leaned on him, finding a certain feeling, not unlike electricity, running through her as she touched him. She could honestly say she wanted to feel more of it. 

He shrugged. "Can't really say. I think it started in the month after China. People were reluctant to disagree with me, and I kinda liked the feeling I got from that, so when things returned to normal I wanted to keep that." He looked down at Nabiki, who had now her head leaning on his shoulder. He could only smile. "I'm not good with words, but I'm a fairly good actor if I set my mind to it." 

"You don't say?" Nabiki let go of the hand to take Ranma's arm, getting more of that feeling on her skin. It seemed as if his very nearness was causing this reaction. "And what other hidden talents do you have?" she asked, curious to know more. 

He glanced down at her. "Not much. You already know I can do anything physical better than most people." A branch as big as his arm blocked their way, and lazily extending a hand Ranma pushed until it snapped, not breaking their stride. "It's not like I can do anything much with all that power." He looked down at the branch; all he could do was destroy. 

"Are you kidding?" Her head came up so she could look at him in the eye. "You could be an action movie star or a tournament champion. You could be world- famous!" There was excitement in her voice, wonder, eyes shining with all of the possibilities she knew existed for a man of Ranma's talent and skill. 

Ranma suddenly stopped, looking sad, and removed his arm from Nabiki's. "Is that-- Is that why you want to be married to me? For the fame and money I could make?" There was no pain on his face, but the eyes -- the eyes betrayed the pain felt inside. 

She immediately regretted her words. "No! No, not at all!" She tried touching him, but he shied away. She looked down, a sad and painful look on. "Ranma... I was just listing possibilities. I just wanted to say you could do anything you wanted with what you can do. I didn't mean to sound so... money- hungry." She sighed, not believing her old ways were returning at such a wrong moment. She leaned back on a tree, needing its support. 

Time passed, neither moving or talking. "I'll just... go on ahead." She turned around and started walking. 'Be strong, just be strong, he's only a man, you can make it on your own, just be--' Her musings were abruptly interrupted as two strong arms encircled her. She unconsciously leaned back. "Ranma?" she asked weakly. 

"I believe you." he whispered in her ear, and he could feel her relax in his arms. "Just... don't make me feel betrayed. I can't stand that." His voice nearly cracked, full of sadness and pain. 

"Oh, Ranma," she began softly, turning around in his embrace to put her arms around his neck, "I'd never do that. I l-- I like you too much to do that, Ranma. Just don't do it to me either, okay?" She put her head on his chest. 

He tightened his embrace. "Of course not. I *like* you too much to do that either." he said with a smirk. 

She giggled. "Do you think we'll ever say that word?" she asked, looking up to him, knowing what was going to happen. 

"Say it and mean it? I have no idea." He gave her a quick squeeze before starting to lean forward. "I'm sure we'll try, though..." They were millimeters from kissing when white light flashed everywhere and a low rumble was heard. Ranma immediately looked up in worry while Nabiki wound up kissing his collar. 

She pulled back in annoyance. "If you're so worried about the rain, I have an umbrella in my schoolbag, you know." Inside, she was cursing the elements for choosing that moment to make it known to the world they were about to make it rain. 

"An umbrella isn't any good in the forest. Let's get going." Hand in hand, the two started running towards the city, not letting go of each other as they avoided trees and large rocks. 

******* 

Cologne was furious. First her son-in-law ran off with a girl she had never considered as capable of stealing his heart. Then her great-granddaughter, her own flesh and blood, mopped around instead of searching for him. At first, she understood; wait for the two to return home, claiming to be married, and strike at the appropriate time. But eleven days were more than enough, making it clear the two had no intention of coming back soon. So it fell on her to make the first step. 

She retrieved her center as she concentrated. She was not about to let her misplaced anger destroy the only chance she had at getting back her wayward son- in-law. Not if three thousands years of Amazon history and three centuries of experience had anything to say about it. Alone in the darkness of her room, Cologne focused on images of Ranma. 

Once the picture was strong in her mind, one arm extended to grab a purple vial, the other hand opening it carefully, and she added a few drops to the bowl of clear water in front of her. The entire bowl turned as purple as the vial was. She placed the bottle away, mindful of its power. 

Next in the bowl was a few herbs that dissolved as it touched the water, giving it a brownish hue. Cologne made sure nothing of the dried herbs was left in her hand; it was an incredibly rare ingredient, and if the solution didn't have the proper amount, it would be all for nothing. 

Then, Cologne took a small cup full of a clear liquid, and with an eye- drop, added seven and a half drops to the mixture of the bowl. It slowly turned a pale gray, in a swirling counter-clockwise motion. She smiled. The spell was ready. 

Out of her pocket, she extracted two strands of hair, one black, one red. With the amount of work she knew Kasumi to put into cleaning the Tendo house, she was surprised Shampoo had been able to find those ten days after he had left. Not questioning her luck, however, Cologne carefully intertwined the two, and then held it over the bowl. 

She let it go. "I search the one named Ranma Saotome." she said, loud and clear, ending just before the hair touched the water. It quickly dissolved as the water turned black. Cologne allowed herself to relax. Her part was done, now it was up to the spell to search for Ranma. Or more precisely, his soul, because as much as blood called blood, magic called magic. 

Time passed. At first, Cologne wondered just how far the boy could have traveled, then grew nervous as a possibility entered her mind. "No..." She stared at the bowl intently, mentally screaming at it to prove her wrong. Innocently, the waters returned to pale gray. 

Cologne backhanded the bowl, sending its contents splashing all over the far wall. She focused on her trembling fist, her face scrunched up in anger. A year and a half... Nearly two years lost, all of those efforts for nothing. 

'No... not all for nothing.' Cologne calmed herself. There were other ways to prove or disprove what this scrying spell had told her. It was a simple spell, one that practically never failed, mind you, but a simple spell nonetheless. She had other options, but not the necessary objects. First she had to send a message to the Joketsuzoku village. Not losing a beat, she went to get her carrier pigeon. ******* 

The skies were gray and the rain was coming down in sheets by the time Ranma and Nabiki managed to get on the outskirts of the city. Ranma was surprisingly still male, but that was in no small part due to the large umbrella and the lack of wind. The two rushed inside a bus shelter, seeking respite from their long run. 

"Whew!" Ranma rushed away from the entrance, letting himself fall on the small bench, letting Nabiki shake the umbrella. "We can't see a hundred feet in front of us!" He looked around through the glass walls, the surroundings fading into a deep grey all around. "That's a big storm." 

"I know." She sat next to him, leaning backwards on the glass, rubbing her arms. "We can't stay here long, though. This storm won't let up soon and it's getting kind of cold." She started rubbing her arms faster. 

"I don't feel cold." Ranma remarked, shrugging. "But-- Isn't that a motel sign over there?" he asked, pointing. 

Nabiki squinted. "It's hard to make in the rain, but it looks like it." She looked behind her, then back at the sign in front of her. "Didn't we come from that direction?" 

He looked around himself. "You know, I don't know." He shrugged. "It's hard to orientate yourself in this. We better get to that motel, though." He got up, offering Nabiki a hand. 

She gladly took it. "Okay." She took the umbrella and opened it. "Let's go." They squeezed themselves under the small length of cloth protecting them from the rain and ran for the motel. It turned out to be pretty near, and they rushed like crazy in the small admission lobby. 

Ranma regained his breathing, happy to still be male. He looked around and spotted an old man behind the desk, looking nonplussed. "Sorry, sir, but we just had to get out of this rain." Ranma tried to explain. 

"Oh, no need for that, young man." the man said, reaching behind him for a key on the large board. "I just thought you all had arrived already. Why aren't you in uniform?" 

The two teenagers exchanged looks. "Uh... We changed so we didn't get them wet." Nabiki answered, hoping she was vague enough so the old man would understand it his way, because she certainly didn't understand him. 

"Ah..." The man extended his hand to offer Ranma a key. "Here you go, young man." He took it. "Room 37, that's on the second floor. The stairs are outside to your left. Be sure to dry yourselves before getting to bed." the old man sermoned, looking serious. 

"Eh... Will do." After one quick glance at each other, the two travelers got out, Ranma holding the door for Nabiki. The old man looked at them depart. He raised a finger with a look of recognition on his face, but shook his head and returned to his books. 

Outside, Ranma and Nabiki were hurrying along the balcony, trying to find their room. "24, 25... Don't you think that was weird?" 

"The old man? Yeah. Something's going on. 30." she pointed at the door as she passed it. "I don't know, though. Might have something to do with all of those military vehicles parked in front. 33." she pointed again. 

Ranma looked. Indeed, despite the rain, he could see jeeps and trucks that could only be associated to the army. "So... what? The old man has an agreement to house officers?" They got to 37, and he started to fumble with the key, trying to get it in the lock. 

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Nabiki replied. "I guess we can pay the man tomorrow morning." Ranma opened the door and motioned for her to go first; she granted him a smile before entering. 

Then Nabiki's comment registered. "You want to pay him, after he gave us the room for free?" Closing the door behind him, Ranma gave her a look as if he didn't know who she was. 

After putting her schoolbag down, she jumped on the bed and turned to look at him, sitting. "Hmm... Did I say that?" She looked at him slyly. "Perhaps I should take it back..." she trailed off playfully. 

"No, no!" he immediately countered, putting his pack down. "I rather like the Nabiki that's not trying to deceive people." he said, smiling, as he sat as well on the bed. "She's a much better person to be with..." One hand went up to her shoulder. 

Nabiki shivered under his touch, but not because she was cold. She climbed on his lap and put her arms around his neck. "Are you trying to suggest something, Ranma dear?" 

Having the distinct impression that *Nabiki* was the one trying something, Ranma grew somewhat uncomfortable. "Um, Nabiki, are you sure--" 

"Oh, come on, Ranma," she interrupted, "you can't possibly still be hung up on this. We're married, aren't we?" she asked, wiggling her left ring finger in front of him. She drew close, her mouth close enough to his ear so he could feel her hot breath as she spoke softly, "You do remember, don't you? Our wedding night?" 

Not trusting his speech, Ranma could only nod. Nabiki's closeness was suddenly registering strongly to his every sense, and he was getting shivers down his spine -- not to mention a tingle somewhere else. "Nabiki, are you su--" 

"Shh." she interrupted, putting a finger on his lips, then turning his head to face hers slowly. Her delicate fingers pulled his chin forward and she leaned towards him. 

The neighbors decided to make themselves known at that point, by a loud, rhythmic banging on the wall. This time, both turned their heads towards the annoyance. "What are they doing, to make all that noise?" Ranma asked. 

"You--" Nabiki was shocked. "You don't have any idea of what's going on over there?" Moans began to come from the other side of the wall, along with the banging. Ranma suddenly got a clue and blushed. "Ahh. Now you get it." 

She kissed his cheek. "Say, are you up to a little challenge?" she asked teasingly, not sure if she should hope for him understanding or not. 

"Huh?" Ranma only half-heard the question, listening to the moaning. He could swear that voice was familiar, but he couldn't quite replace it. 

"Ranma, listen to me." She punctuated her sentence by turning Ranma's head to face hers. He blinked and his eyes focused on her. "Good. Are you up to a little challenge?" 

"Err... what kind of challenge?" he asked, confused. 

Nabiki tilted her head towards the noisy wall and shot her eyebrows up, once. "Do I have to spell it out for you?" Ranma's eyebrows went up as he understood, and then he grinned. Turned out he understood her perfectly, making his point known several times through the night. 

******* 

*fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii* 

The megaphone vibrated in the general's hand, every person around covering their ears from the high-pitched sound. No one complained, however. A five-star general was not a person one wanted to anger. After shaking their heads to get rid of the ringing in their ears, the soldiers returned to packing their things in the trucks and jeeps. 

Not the least bit embarrassed, general Sato returned the megaphone to his lips. "All personnel are ordered to report to their assigned vehicle IMMEDIATELY!!!" All around the motel's parking lot, he could see the soldiers and officers scrambling to get ready to leave. He knew there was only two officers missing, the two pilots his unit had been assigned to escort to the Tokyo air base. Yesterday, he had thought that their love for each other made them the perfect pilot team, but now he wasn't so sure. Sighing, he took the megaphone to his mouth again. 

******* 

Meanwhile, in room 37, Nabiki was trying to enjoy her morning in bed, laying next to her man. With the general screaming at his troops to get ready outside, she wasn't succeeding very well. The whining high-pitched sound of a badly used megaphone finally made her patience snap, and she jumped out of bed, her half-closed eyes searching for her clothes. 

Two screams from the general later, she had found her panties, which had been hiding all bunched up on top of a lamp, and was now searching for her bra. Another whining megaphone made her wonder why she was bothering; she only wanted to scream at the man to shut up and return to bed, after all. Spotting Ranma's chinese shirt, she decided to go with the cliche thing and put it on, fastening only the ties necessary to hide her bosom. 

After raising a sleeve so her hand was out, she took a firm hold of the knob and opened the door in one quick motion. Her other hand came up to hide her eyes from the rising sun, and she stomped to the guard rail. "Would you shut up already?!?" she screamed, not bothering to look for the offending voice. 

The general pointed at a group of soldiers, who were hanging around a jeep, waiting for departure. "You over there!" His arm moved to point at Nabiki. "Get her and her companion with their stuff and put them in the truck!" He was now pointing to the only empty truck left, one which didn't have so much as a tent as armored plating covering the back. "Now!!!" 

The six enlisted took off running, knowing the one who got there first got to carry the sleepy girl, and after seeing the pair of legs on her, military regulations were flying out the window. 

Nabiki was surprisingly passive when a private picked her up and carried her to the truck. Once she was put down, however, sitting on the truck's edge, she raised a sleeve, pulled her arm back and slapped the enlisted guy good. The sound made everyone turn to look just in time to see the poor guy reel back from the blow, stumbling backwards until he fell. The silence was absolute. 

The other soldiers had assembled the couple's things and carefully put in inside the truck, under Nabiki's watching eye, while the two stuck with taking Ranma had, though certainly not out of decency, simply rolled Ranma in his blanket before carrying him out. 

Nabiki picked her jeans from the pile of clothes and entered the truck to put them on away from prying eyes. She was halfway through pulling them up when the two privates dumped the still sleeping Ranma inside, and she smiled as she saw that neither soldier looked up at her. 

The general, a gruff of a man with a luscious mustache and balding black hair, entered the truck, and two soldiers closed the gate behind him. Nabiki felt and heard the motor start, and not long after they were on the road. 

Sitting on the side bench, still in Ranma's shirt, Nabiki wondered just what the hell they had gotten themselves into. She wasn't about to ask questions, though, lest she find herself in even bigger trouble. It was better to go along for the moment, but there was one question plaguing her in her mind; just who the hell did the general think they were?!? 

Meanwhile, in room 36 of the motel, Captain Ranma Saotome and Lieutenant Nabiki Tendo, pilots extraordinaire, continued to sleep contentedly in each other's arms, blissfully unaware of what had gone on outside. 

******* 

It was the longest three-hour ride in Ranma and Nabiki's life. Once Ranma had waken up, the general had opened a small compartment in the very back and told them to change in some blue overalls. Ranma had gladly held up the blanket to hide Nabiki while she changed. Otherwise, however, it was a silent and uneventful ride. The general was more silent than a carp, and Ranma and Nabiki couldn't talk for fear of being caught. 

The truck finally slowed down, then stopped. A minute later it advanced again, then stopped. It happened a few more times before the two realized; a check-point. They looked at each other in worry; wherever their counterparts were, that was where the ID cards the guard would ask for were. 

The truck stopped once more, and a soldier opened the gate. He then saluted the general. "Sir!" The general saluted, and the soldier stood down. "New regulation, sir. The enemy can copy our ID cards, so we're doing fingerprint and DNA scans now." He extended a flat palmtop. "Just put your hand on the screen, sir, the scanner will do the rest." 

The general did as told, and a green line went up and down in the screen, like a copier. The scan done, the soldier looked at the result, nodded, and looked at Ranma. "Sir?" 

Nervously, Ranma obliged, his other hand ready to punch the soldier's lights out at a moment's notice. The scan done, the soldier looked at the results. Nodding, he looked at Nabiki. "Ma'am?" Seeing that Ranma had gone through it perfectly, Nabiki wasn't nervous as she passed the scan. 

The results positive once more, the soldier stepped back and closed the gate. He nodded to his left, to the armed soldier hiding from view, who motioned to another soldier inside the protected guard post. He raised the barrier and the truck entered the air base. 

The sound outside changed to an echo of motor sounds as the lights diminished, and Ranma and Nabiki could see large warehouse doors close behind them. The truck stopped and a soldier rushed to open the gate. The general got off, and after cramming their clothes in Ranma's backpack, they got off as well, taking their stuff with them. 

The two found themselves in a huge warehouse, with trucks and jeeps everywhere, a few fake walls in a corner to make an office, but the eye-catcher was the fighter plane on the other side. 

The plane was barely the length of a limousine, and wings notwithstanding it wasn't even half the width. There was no landing gear, the plane supported by two pillars hugging the underside near both ends. The cockpit was open and they could see the top of two pilots seats, one behind the other. 

The wings were forming a delta, attached to the fighter all of their length, with a small tailfin over the two rectangle engines on the back. The entire surface of the plane was gleaming black metal, with no attachments or gadgets sticking out indicating weapons or missiles. 

"*THAT* is a fighter?!? It's so small it doesn't even have any guns or missiles on it!" Ranma exclaimed, pointing. Nabiki looked at him, arms crossed, but decided to keep her opinion to herself, though she did agree the plane seemed a little too small. She gave it another look and remarked it had wings that seemed a little too thick. 

After signing some papers and handing them back to a private, the general walked up next to them. "Do not be fooled by its size, Saotome. I can assure you this plane has more fight in it that three of your old fighters combined. We used still-experimental technology to build it as powerful and as compact as we could. Surely at one time or other you wished your plane had been smaller so you wouldn't get hit." The general clapped Ranma on the shoulder. 

Ranma thought a few seconds to come up with an appropriate 'pilot Ranma' answer. "I don't remember ever being hit, sir." he said, going with a scratch to the head to show confusion. 

The man chuckled. "Indeed. You should consider yourselves lucky. And it's precisely why we chose you both. You two will be the first to test this one. If everything goes well, you'll be going back to the front with it. We'll show those Chinese scum what Japan is made of." 

The dimensional couple managed to take this information more or less stoically. That is, on the outside. Inside, they were more or less in a state of shock. While flying a plane was something in the midst of possibility, going to war with it was a completely different matter. 

While they were staring, two young officers ran up to them and stood in front of them, saluting. It took a few seconds for the two travelers to get out of it, then after wondering another couple of seconds what to do, they saluted back. 

"Captain, Lieutenant," the shorter one began, "I am Sergeant Nakano and this is Sergeant Miramoto, we designed and built the cockpit of the prototype. If you'll come with us, we'll show you the commands." The two turned away and started walking to the plane. 

Following at a slower pace, Ranma and Nabiki exchanged a look. Those two looked familiar. Nakano was a couple of inches shorter than Miramoto, with black hair, while the taller one was slightly shorter than Ranma, with brown hair that had a reddish tinge. Both had standard military haircuts, and were wearing baggy fatigues that seemed to hang from their small frame. 

Yet the faces were unmistakable. Ranma's hang-around buddies, Hiroshi and Daisuke. "Gee, just how young can you get in this world's army?" Ranma asked Nabiki, whispering while looking at the two preparing the ladders up to the cockpit. 

"Good question, but I don't think that's relevant at the moment. Let me ask you, are we really going along with this?" Nabiki was feeling cautious and concerned, and it showed in her voice, but by no means afraid. Not as long as she had Ranma next to her. 

Ranma shrugged. "I don't see the harm. They have to show us the commands before we even attempt to fly it, and that should stall things 'til tonight. Then we amscray before our counterparts get here." He sighed. "No guarantees, but..." 

"As good as anything I could think of." Nabiki replied, now feeling a little resigned. She knew that any attempts of force would be answered just like in the first world, by firearms. It was better to go along until the element of surprise was a larger advantage. 

The two reached the plane, facing the two eager sergeants. Nakano smiled at them. "Before we go over your separate areas, I'll inform you of the overall changes compared to your usual G-47s. First of all, we finally managed to convince the higher ups to automatize most systems once we perfected the AIs, so you won't have to worry about little things anymore, like flicking 200 switches before taking off. You still have manual control if you ask, and I do mean ask, because every command is voice activated. For example, Captain Saotome, you can switch between engines by stating aloud which one you want, and you, Lieutenant Tendo, can choose your weapon the same way. Do you understand?" 

The two nodded, albeit Ranma did with some hesitation. He was more of a hands-on kind of guy. "Then if it's all right with you," Maramoto continued, "we'll move on to your specific areas. As usual, the flyer is in the front cockpit, and the shooter in the back." The man motioned to the two ladders, and after a look between themselves, Ranma and Nabiki climbed to their respective places. 

******* 

Cologne was seriously beginning to wonder if the boy was worth all of her efforts. After tossing and turning all night, unable to come up with a definitive interpretation of the spell's answer, she had started to wonder what she should say to Shampoo, to the others, to the boy's own mother. There were certain possibilities that didn't allow waiting, and necessitated as much able bodies as possible. 

And so, after weighing carefully both sides of the coin, she came to the decision of informing the others of the situation. If Ranma was dead, it would be better to investigate right away, and if his situation was amongst the few exemptions where the spell didn't work, it was almost certain that he would need help. And even if not, after twelve days, surely the others would be curious as to Ranma's current whereabouts. It was more than enough time to elope and get married. 

The sky seemed to match her mood, pale grey, promising rain. If there was one thing she wasn't sure of, constantly wasn't sure of, it was how this bunch of crazed teenagers and morally ambiguous adults would take her news. With a resigned sigh, she knocked on the Tendo door. 

******* 

While Nabiki was thoroughly enjoying her new role as wife to the greatest martial artist of all time, Ranma was seriously beginning to reconsider his earlier decision, despite all the fringe benefits such a state offered. 

In other words, Ranma was receiving his first nagging, concerning his table manners. And while he didn't remember Nabiki ever commenting on them, she sure was finding things to say this time. To the enjoyment of the soldiers within hearing range in the mess hall. And so it was with almost pure bliss that Ranma swallowed his last meatball, excused himself and walked straight out of the building. 

After wandering around for a little bit, Ranma found a bathroom. After entering, he leaned heavily on the sink and looked at his reflection. He sighed. "Don't turn into your father, Saotome." he chastised the image. "You *have* to talk to her about this." 

A toilet flushed and a soldier came out of a stall, grinning at Ranma, who was now somewhat embarrassed. "Women trouble?" the guy asked, going to another sink to wash his hands. Ranma remained silent. "Ah, don't worry, it's perfectly normal to be nagged early in a relationship." 

Ranma turned to look at the guy, surprise evident on his face. "How'd you know?" His head quickly turned when he realized he had just confessed his problem. 

The guy gave another grin Ranma's way. "Experience." he answered, using a few paper towels to dry his hands. "Let me give you some advice. Just agree with her, do as she says, and after awhile slowly return to your usual habits. By that time, she'll have deluded herself into thinking she changed you, so she won't notice." 

All consideration of the soldier's suggestion fell when Ranma heard 'delude herself' and 'won't notice'. He snorted. "I doubt that could ever work." he replied. 

"Whatever you say, man, but there's no girl in the world that'll take you without wanting to change a few supposedly small things, and if you give in, before you know it you'll be doing everything her way." The guy leaned forward in front of the mirror and, with a little cold water, adjusted his hair slightly. "You've got to give as much as you get, you know." He started walking out. 

"I don't think deception is part of the deal." Ranma said. "I'll find my own way..." 

"Your funeral." The guy shot back before disappearing. Ranma shook his head. That was a rather dim view of the relationship, though he had to admit he was rather new at this. But there had to be something beyond mutual deception and animal sex. There had to be an attraction on the intellectual, spiritual level as well as physical. There had to be an emotional connection so deep all could be said in a simple, fleeting look... 

He snorted. "Who am I kidding? There's nothing beyond animal sex." He gave himself a smirk in the mirror. "And if I gave as good as I got, she should be more than willing to stop nagging me. Let's go have a talk with my wife." 

With determination in his eyes and on his face, Ranma marched back to the mess hall. As soon as he was ten feet away from Nabiki, she somehow knew it and turned to face him. "Ranma! And where were you?" She rose to face him. "Do you have any idea how rude it was to just get up and leave like that? Do you even know how I--" 

In Ranma's life, actions were always better than words, and he proved it once more by shutting up his wife not with words, but by a sudden, deep and passionate kiss. Once the element of surprise was passed she quickly melted into his embrace. The witnesses started wolf-whistling and cheering, and once it started to die down only did the two stop. 

Nabiki was almost panting, struggling to retrieve her breath. She swallowed loudly and looked at Ranma with a smile, still in their embrace. "Not that I mind, but what was that for?" 

He smiled. "You have your faults and I have mine. Let's find somewhere private to continue this." She didn't fight back as he pulled her away by the hand, the crowd around returning to cheering. 

Which soon stopped as the alarms throughout the base started blaring their annoying sound. Ranma and Nabiki stopped in their tracks, looking around. "What the hell is that?" Nabiki asked, letting go of Ranma's hand. 

"Damned if I know." Ranma replied, then grabbed a running soldier by the back of the shirt, lifting him off his feet. "What's going on?" 

The guy made gurgling sounds a few times before Ranma understood he had to put him down. "That's the emergency siren! We're being attacked!" 

Sooner than immediately, the boy was free of a shocked Ranma's grip. "A-a- a-a-attacked?" Ranma quickly looked at Nabiki, seeing not only a reflection of his surprise and shock, but a deep sense of dread and foreboding, with a good part of fear. He was puzzled a second at that, but he quickly understood. 

They were supposed to be pilots here. 

******* 

Cologne looked at the assembled people. The Saotome parents, the two Tendo daughters and their father, the Kuonji chef, and her own great-granddaughter. She had managed to get rid of Mousse by sticking him with the restaurant as punishment for his increased 'attempts' at Shampoo. As for the Kunos, how they had gotten wind of the meeting she had no idea, but they had been promptly thrown out. 

"People," she began loud and clear, getting everyone's attention, "I have asked you to come here today for a reason, and I am afraid it isn't good news." she finished, lowering her head. 

"It's Ranma, isn't it?" Akane asked first. "Something happened to Ranma." She was wringing her hands in worry. 

"Sadly, yes..." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as they all started talking at once. The next generation? Teenagers, even? Ha! Children, that was what they were. Nothing more. Always preoccupied with their own little things, never bothering to think before starting to scream and whine. Sad, really. Even more so than Ranma's situation, since it was the present and theirs was the future. 

The noise reached an all-time high, as the various people in the room began wailing, whining and accusing each other of something they didn't even know yet. Cologne took two deep breaths to suppress the bulging vein on her forehead, then took a deep breath. 

"Children! Calm down and let me explain! You can bicker about it *after* I've told you what it is." To her greatest pleasure, they all sat back, now calm and a little embarrassed, except, of course, for Ranma's mother, always the perfect example of self-control. Another bad trait, really, but one that could be rubbed off on the others to the benefit of the whole. 

"First, Cologne, perhaps you could tell us how you came unto such information about my son?" Nodoka inquired, leaning ever-so-slightly forward, even though she was rather sure she wouldn't like the answer. 

Cologne would have smiled if she hadn't disliked the question so much. It was nice to have a question concerning the means instead of only the ends once in awhile, though she didn't particularly like to reveal these means. 

"Well, yesterday, I began doubting if son-i-- Ranma would return. If he truly had eloped with Nabiki, one week seems more than enough for them to marry, have a honeymoon and return, and they surely would have contacted their families. And so, I used what little resources I have at my disposal and attempted to locate him through magical means." She could see the look of distrust on some at the mention of magic. Well, it was their problems. 

"The spell is fool-proof, and yet... Nothing. The spell was made to search for Ranma's soul, and it didn't find it." She shook her head at their widened eyes. "Ranma is most likely dead." 

Cologne quickly covered her ears, which didn't lessen any the ensuing cries of "NO!!!" from those around. She left them there, not caring for their angry ramblings and denials, nor wailing, but when it wouldn't stop, she spoke out. "Listen!" Amazingly, they calmed down and looked at her. "I said 'most likely'. There is still a chance Ranma is alive. That is why I am not waiting until I can confirm or deny this. We need to go search for him right away." 

Three girls immediately got up, looking ready to go as ever. "Stop! Sit down. You cannot go running blindly, children, you do not even know where to start! We must be organized." Slowly, the girls sat. 

"Cologne..." Nodoka began, looking at the older woman, "you said you could confirm this... rather bad news. When?" 

She looked down. "The necessary elements will take a week to arrive. We do not have such time, however. That is why I came right away. If Ranma is where he cannot be detected, he truly is in need of help." She got up. "We should ask around town first, see who has spotted Ranma that day, and reconvene for dinner. Shampoo, come with me." Cologne started for the door. 

"Yes, great-grandmother." Shampoo obediently followed, closing the door behind her. 

Ukyo got up right after. "I don't know about you all, but I'm going to find Ranchan, *alive*." Not wasting time for goodbyes, the chef ran out, jumping over the backyard wall. 

Akane suddenly found herself looked at by two pairs of watery eyes. "Akane! My sweet girl, you'll save your fiance, won't you?" one said. "Yes! Go save the future of the school of Anything-Goes!" the other continued. 

"Fine!" she shot back, crossing her arms, "but I'm not doing it for that jerk! He can stay dead for all I care!" Angry, she got up and stormed out, slamming the door. 

"Tendo, the school is secured!" "Yes! Ranma will finally have to admit his feelings to his fiancee after she saves him!" The two began a dance together for a moment, then took off to celebrate. 

Nodoka shook her head at the two. "When will they learn..." She turned to Kasumi, who despite her calm face didn't fool Nodoka in the least. "Do not worry, Kasumi, Ranma can take care of Nabiki and himself." 

"I sure hope so, Auntie." Kasumi replied, her anxiousness not diminishing in the least. 

******* 

"Okay, so what the hell should we do?!?" Nabiki screamed. 

"How should I know?!?" Ranma shot back. "I've never done this before!!!" 

"Fine, fine." Nabiki quickly said, taking deep breaths to control herself. "We should... we should..." And not succeeding very well, twisting and turning on herself, arms going from her waist to passing through her hair like a caged monkey, making Ranma smirk despite the situation. "We should get the hell out of here, that's what we should do!!!" 

"I'm all for that." Ranma grabbed Nabiki's hand. "Let's go." They started at an hurried pace in the opposite direction than the other soldiers had run off to. Getting out of the mess hall, they hugged the wall left, away from the soldiers they could see, and rounded the corner of the building. 

Only to run into general Sato. "Ah! Capt. Saotome, Lt. Tendo. I was looking for you two. As you can tell, we are under attack." One corner of his mouth went up ever-so-slightly. "Well, not us directly. Enemy fighters will reach the coastline within the hour, more than enough time for you two to surprise them with your new airplane." 

Ranma and Nabiki exchanged a look. They were trapped, unless the general suddenly took a nap. Ranma was about to help him into a restful sleep when the man called for two passing soldiers. "Men! Escort these two to the prototype, and make sure they get in without any trouble." 

"Yes sir!" The two chorused, freeing one hand from their machine guns to salute to the general, and once standing down took positions around the two travelers, one in front, one behind. "Sir, ma'am, follow me, if you please." the one in the lead said before walking with a decisive step. The two had no choice but to follow. 

"What do we do now?" Ranma whispered. 

"Well, unless you want to be full of holes, go along." Nabiki whispered back. 

"I can't fly an airplane!" he hissed, looking at her indignantly. 

Nabiki would have capitalized on Ranma admitting he couldn't do something if the situation hadn't been so serious. "You don't have any choice. We'll just fly some distance, land the plane somewhere and disappear until we slide." 

Ranma nodded slightly and stayed silent. He couldn't think of anything else that would prevent them from being shot at, though he wasn't sure if flying the fighter would be any safer. 'At least,' he mused, 'that thing's got parachutes.' 

The two grunts led them directly to the ladders of the small aircraft, and after passing between themselves a look of resignation, the two climbed and took their places. 

Ranma sat, let out a deep breath, and touched one of the screens in front of him, entering the command to close the cockpit. He put on the helmet, adjusting the straps and the mic in front of his mouth. "Nabiki, are we REALLY going through with this?" 

"It's that or be held by the military and miss the slide. I don't want to be stuck 29 years in a world at war, so get over it and fly this thing." Nabiki was not happy, putting on her gear. She HATED losing control. To think if they had only attempted to leave a few minutes earlier... 

*sigh* "All right." Ranma buckled his safety belt over his lap. "How did that go again..." he asked himself. "Stupid protocol..." He thought for a few seconds. "Activate, code Saotome alpha-tetha-4-7." 

Two beeps was the computer's acknowledgement, and all around the cockpit, lights turned on. Then a low humming was heard, slowly gaining in pitch, with a low vibration. One screen in front of Ranma displayed a schematic of the plane, sections dark blue, turning light blue as they activated. 

One large section of the belly of the plane turned light blue, and the plane shook once, freeing itself from its restraints as it rose in the air a few feet. Two high pitched metallic clangs were heard, which Ranma assumed was the ladders falling, but didn't get the thought complete as the giant warehouse doors opening distracted him. 

One hand went up to block the setting sun. "Damn it!" He looked around in the cockpit. "I need shades..." One small mechanic whirl lowered black sunglass over his eyes. He blinked. "Cool..." 

"Jikken-5, Tower to Jikken-5, do you read me, over." Ranma looked left and right for the voice, then slapped the front of his helmet. 

He tapped the mic in front of his mouth, once. "This is Jikken-5..." he said hesitantly... "reading you loud and clear." A pause. "Over." he quickly added. 

"Jikken-5, you should be receiving your flight plan on screen 4. Do you copy? Over." Damn, Ranma hated that voice. 

"Yeah. I got it. Can I take off now?" Ranma replied, annoyed. "Over." he added, this time without hurrying. He wanted this over as soon as possible. 

"Yeah, hum..." The voice was hesitant, cautious. "Jikken-5, you have permission to take off. I've been informed you don't have to take a runway, just get out and take off. Over." 

"Allright. Taking off. Over." Ranma nervously put his right hand on the right lever, letting his fingers fall into their place, and slowly closed his hand on it. The left hand went to the stick, holding it in place firmly. 

Ranma licked his lips, heart beating in his chest. He was sure he was making the biggest mistake of his life. 'Let's see... Hiroshi said that standard take-off speed was one quarter...' Slowly, Ranma pushed the lever forward. Easily, smoothly, without any jerk, the plane advanced. 

Gaining more confidence as nothing went wrong, Ranma pushed the lever faster, and once it was safely at one-quarter he pulled on the stick. The plane steadily rose in the sky, and Ranma suddenly tensed when the horizon disappeared, leaving his hands deadly still on the controls. 

When the plane passed forty-five degrees, Nabiki got worried. "Ranma?" Fifty degrees. "Ranma!" Fifty-five. Nabiki quickly tapped her mic two times, for private communication. "RANMA!" she shouted, her voice carrying right into his ears. 

The whole plane shook for a second when Ranma jumped, then quickly leveled as he took notice of his surroundings. He tapped his mic twice. "Sorry. I... kinda froze." His right hand went up, trying to squeeze inside his helmet to wipe the sweat on his brow. 

"Ranma, take a deep breath, relax, everything's gonna be fine." Nabiki tried to be soothing. If she hadn't known it was Ranma in front of her, she'd have said the pilot was on the verge of a breakdown. 

"Easy for you to say! You're not piloting a goddamn airplane!" Ranma shot back. A few seconds later, he took a deep breath. "Sorry. I'm nervous." 

"I noticed." Nabiki deadpanned. She touched a screen in front of her, bringing it to life, and opened a map, the flight plan superimposed on it. "Really..." she said to herself. "Ranma--" 

"Jikken-5, come in, Jikken-5, this is the Tower. Over." 

He tapped the mic once. "This is Jikken-5. Over." He inwardly sighed. 'I hate protocol...' 

"Capt. Saotome, this is General Sato. We have received a very distressing message from the coastline base. They've received a transmission from the enemy, saying they're fleeing from an unknown assailant and they want refuge. We haven't been able to confirm this info-- One moment." Ranma heard the link click. He blinked. 

*taptap* "Ranma, what do you make of this?" 

*taptap* "You don't want to know." Ranma said, shaking his head. 

"Tell me." 

"No." 

"Come on! I'm your wife, damn it. You're supposed to be able to tell me everything." She was getting upset. 

"Fine, fine." he replied, resigned. "I've got a baaad feeling about this." he sighed. 

Nabiki groaned. "Why'd you tell me that? Now I'm worried." she whined. 

Ranma wanted to find a wall and bang his head on it. He wasn't going to ask. He wasn't. Getting closer to a woman had lessened his understanding of the gender. 

"Jikken-5, this is General Sato. Intelligence has confirmed the enemy's claim. There is a fleet of large crafts coming our way right outside the coast of China. All that the Chinese said was that the enemy fleet was a bunch of monsters. We're sending you ahead to investigate. Over." 

"What? How? I'm not exactly the closest thing." Pause. "Over." he remembered to say. 

"The experimental speed of the plane is mach 5, and the enemy is coming very fast. You'll meet them--" 

"Wait a second." Ranma interrupted. "I was told it could only go to mach 2!" 

"Safely, yes." the general replied, sounding annoyed. "The plane loses stability pass that speed, so it can only be done with an authorization code and controlled by computer." Pupils became dots in their owners' eyes. "I'm transferring control in five seconds, release the controls then. Five, four..." 

In all of his life, Ranma had only been truly afraid, still outside but shaking like a leaf inside, three times. The time his father had thrown him in a pit of starving cats, the time Akane had almost died, and the third was right now. He went to do something, anything, with the controls, but found them unresponsive. His hearing registered once more. 

"-tally transfered to the computer successfully. For the next half hour, you don't have to do anything. Capt. Saotome, do you copy?" 

"Copy, general." Ranma said almost automately. "Will that be all?" 

"One last thing. You are not to engage the enemy. You are only to observe them. Understood?" the general finished, voice stern and authoritative. 

"Yes, sir." Ranma said with relief, coming back to his senses. 

"Over and out." And the comm link died in Ranma's ears. Slowly, the plane tipped to one side, turning and rising, and once it redressed began accelerating. Both felt the pressure pushing them in their seats. 

*taptap* "We're screwed, aren't we?" 

*taptap* "Most definitively." 

"What do we do?" 

"You hold yourself together, Saotome. Our lives are on the line." she said sternly. 

Something suddenly hit Ranma. "Whatever you say, Saotome." he replied, smirking. 

"Why are you calling me Saotome?" Nabiki asked, confused. 

Ranma was smiling. "If you're my wife, you're taking my name." he said, quite amused in his voice. 

"What? I'm not taking your name!" she shot back, crossing her arms, even if he couldn't see it. 

"Why not? I can't take your name, I'm the first and only son!" 

"Who said one of us had to take the other's name? This is the nineties, you know." 

"What? Of course you're taking my name..." 

To both, the half hour passed rather faster than they thought. 

"Jikken-5, this is Recon-1, do you copy, over?" Both stopped their squabbling and listened, confused. 

"Jikken-5, this is Recon-1, do you copy, over?" the man repeated, a little more urgency in his voice. 

*tap* "This is Jikken-5, reading you loud and clear, over." Ranma answered. 'I HATE protocol!' 

"Prepare to retake control, over." 

Ranma looked confused for a second, looking around, when he remembered and put his hands on the stick and lever. "Ready, over." 

The plane slowed, they both felt the pressure lessening on their chests, and there was a small jerk. Ranma felt the stick in his hand return to being hard to move, and held it firmly. "I've got control." 

A moment passed. "Err, that's good, Jikken-5, *over*." the man replied, emphasing the protocol word as if to remind Ranma. 

Ranma suddenly found that he hated the man on the other side of the comm link, even if he had never seen the guy. 

"Jikken-5, you are to activate stealth mode and keep radio silence until you return to safe space, Understood? Over." 

"Understood. Anything else? *Over*?" Ranma said the last word derisively. 

"No. This is Recon-1, over and out." The comm link died and Ranma welcomed the silence. 

*taptap* "Protocol isn't *that* difficult to follow, you know." 

*taptap* "I thought you knew me." 

"Oh, shut up and fly. Mic off." 

Ranma chuckled, then thought of something. *taptap* "Nabiki, maybe we should go through with this." 

"WHAT?!?" Nabiki screamed, then she remembered. She patiently tapped her mic two times, then took a deep breath. "WHAT?!?" 

Having heard the first muffled, Ranma was prepared for the second. "Calm down! Geez! You want to give me a heart attack?" 

"We can't do this, you know that! We're not qualified!" she continued shouting. 

"We only have to take a look and report, nothing major. They're counting us to warn them about this new enemy." 

"Ranma, the only thing we can do is get shot down! Not only they'll lose their precious airplane, but we'll die in the process! I don't want to die for my country, and I certainly DON'T want to die for another world's country! Turn this goddamn plane around!" she commanded. 

Ranma was feeling like that himself, and was about to do as asked, when he decided that he would help out this world. It was a martial artist's duty to help when he could. "No. We're doing this." He touched a screen. "Activate stealth mode." On another screen, an image of the plane became transparent. 

"RANMA SAOTOME!!!" Nabiki shouted at the top of her lungs. "You'll turn this goddamn plane around or--" 

"Mic off." Ranma muttered, not caring for his wife's ramblings. He had made his decision, if there were problems he'd take responsibility. He looked at the radar, and he saw the small triangles appear at the top. One, three, six, ten... On and on. 

"I'm no expert, but I think I should rise a little." Pulling the stick to him a little, Ranma waited until they'd gained a few thousand feet before redressing. "This is easier than I thought..." he said to himself. 

A few minutes later, he was flying over the enemy fleet, hundreds of oddly shaped ships below him. "Damn..." he said, looking at a camera view on a screen. *taptap* "Nabiki, you seeing this?" 

*taptap* "I am..." she replied, a little wonder in her voice. "I think... I think it was a good thing, doing this. Japan is going to be massacred if we don't warn them..." 

"Yeah..." Ranma was about to turn around, when something began nagging him about those planes, as if he should recognize something... He squinted at the screen. "Say... What do those planes look like to you?" 

"Huh?" Nabiki observed more closely. "The shape *is* a little weird..." She touched the screen, magnifying the image. Her eyes flew wide. "Nothing." she quickly said. "They look like nothing. Standard planes. Turn around." Her mind was going crazy. 'Ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod...' 

"What's so urgent, Nabiki? I don't see the... Damn! Is there any way to blow up the image?" The computer beeped and obeyed, the image changing to a close-up of a group of 'planes'. They looked animal-shaped, their legs moving as if running... And that long tail flailing around... Nabiki whimpered at about the time there was a click in Ranma's head and his eyes flew wide. 

"CAT! C-c-c-c-c-cat!" Ranma went crazy, both hands going wild on the control stick. 

"Ranma! Calm down! Ranma! They can't hurt you! They can't see you!" Nabiki was being tossed around with the sudden movements of the plane, up, down, hard turns... She had to find a way to calm him. To say something that would make him hold on his sanity. 

"Ranma! If you don't calm down, the three of us will die!" she shouted. The plane suddenly became still, at an odd angle to the side and losing altitude slowly. 

"What did you say?" Ranma asked slowly. "'The three of us'..." 

"Well, I'm not sure..." Nabiki said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I haven't had my period yet, and those condoms you used ten days ago weren't of very good quality..." She had done it, Ranma was calm, but was it enough in front of an army of giant flying cats? 

"Are you saying you're pregnant?" Ranma asked again, even slower. 

"Well... there's a good chance, yes..." Her voice was small, and she was looking at her lap. 'Oh god please let him keep his sanity...' 

"I'm... a father. I'm going to be a father." Ranma said in wonder, looking straight ahead. Which was unfortunate as the plane had been going straight for the enemy fleet in its descent. "Oh my god! Cat!" 

'Oh shit.' Nabiki looked. "Pull up! Pull up!" 

Ranma did. 'Gotta stay calm, gotta stay cool, gotta stay in control. Gotta stay calm, gotta stay cool, gotta stay in control.' he kept chanting in his head. The plane's nose went up, leveling a few hundred feet over the fleet of giant, flying and running cats. 

Bringing into view an even bigger giant flying cat, this one with its mouth open, sharp teeth in plain view. Ranma freaked, going mad with the controls again. "Catcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcat..." 

"Ranma! Stop! *bang* Oww!" Being tossed around with Ranma's erratic flying had her banging her head every which way. She desperately tried to think of something. There had to be an option. 

'Emergency eject!' She frantically looked around, even more difficult while being tossed and turned worse than a rollercoaster. 'Ejectejectejectejecteject ejectejecteject...' she kept thinking while searching. Finding nothing, she screamed in frustration. "Damn it, where's the eject?!?" 

A small second later, the plane ran into a giant flying cat, barely having time to break in two before exploding, illuminating the early night sky like day for a few seconds. 

******* 

End Chapter 3 

******* 


End file.
